About WhatNext

How can WhatNext help me?

WhatNext is a growing online support network of people and organizations striving to provide those affected by illnesses (e.g., patients, survivors, caregivers, family members or friends) with instant access to highly relevant peers, perspectives and resources based on their specific situation.

By providing details about their journeys and themselves, WhatNext members can quickly connect with relevant peers and resources, saving themselves time from having to search through numerous websites and pages of content.

You can help yourself and others by keeping the network up to date as to how you are doing so others can support you, and you can provide insight that might help others in their journeys.

WhatNext also makes it easy to find local support resources (e.g., transportation, financial aid, support groups) in your area, as well as highly relevant physician reviewed content from recognized resources, such as the American Cancer Society.

What is with the name, WhatNext?

After spending months working with various marketers to name this initiative, David Wasilewski, WhatNext’s founder, called his mom, a radiation therapist, and explained that he was having a hard time coming up with a name. Two hours later, his mom sent him an email suggesting he should call the site WhatNext, because that is the number one thing her patients ask.

Is my information private?

Only your email address and password are private. Everything else you enter is public. This makes it very simple to know what is private and what is not. WhatNext allows you to be anonymous if you choose, unless of course you use your real name in any of your posts or load a picture of yourself.

Who is behind WhatNext?

Back in 2007, after spending months helping various family members and friends navigate cancer and other illnesses, David Wasilewski found that it was hard for families to make decisions – because they lacked perspectives and insights from others who had been in their shoes, and were overwhelmed by the vast amount of information on the Internet. So he set out to build WhatNext.

Is there a cost to join WhatNext?

There is no cost to join WhatNext – everything on network is free to those who sign up.

About Using WhatNext

How do I get started?

Getting started takes three simple steps. First, you set up your screen name and password, and enter your zip code and approximate age (optional, but this helps with matching you to others just like you). Second, share as much or as little about your diagnosis as you like. Third, begin sharing your journey. We use all this information to match you to those most like you, based on age, diagnosis, stage and geography.

What is the Journey?

Every person’s journey is unique, whether you are a patient, survivor, caregiver, family member or friend. WhatNext allows you to record the major things you experienced or are experiencing along your journey (e.g., chemo, remission, celebrations, etc.). By sharing your journey you give others an easy way to see what you have been through and learn from you.

Additionally, you can learn from others by reading their journeys. To create your journey after registration, simply click on any one of your journey icons on your personal WhatNext home page.

How do I change the specifics of my diagnosis?

Over time you may want to change the specifics of one of your diagnoses, maybe change your role from patient to survivor or provide more specifics about your diagnosis. You can do this by simply clicking on any of your journey icons on your personal WhatNext home page and then underneath your journey timeline you will see a link to “Edit Diagnosis Profile”. Click on this link.

How do I delete a diagnosis?

If you accidentally create a diagnosis profile you can delete the diagnosis profile by clicking on any of your journey icons on your personal WhatNext home page and then underneath your journey timeline you will see a link to “Delete Diagnosis”. Make sure the journey of the diagnosis you want to delete is displayed and click on this link.

What is the Wall?

This is where you can post updates on anything from your progress to weekend plans to book recommendations. The only people who will see things on your wall will be people following you or people who are browsing your page. To post an update to your Wall, click on the “Home” tab on the top of each page. Underneath your journey you will see a box. Click on “Update,” type in your update and click “Share.”

Why post updates?

This is a great way to keep others up to date on how you are doing and what you have learned. By keeping people up to date on your progress via the “Update” feature, it allows others to support you along your journey.

How do I ask a question?

You have questions, and someone in the WhatNext network may be able to help. There are two ways you can ask a question. If you are on your home page, underneath your journey you will see a box. Click on “Ask Network,” type in your question and click “Share.” You can also click on the “Questions” tab on the top of each page, and complete the form. When you post questions using the “Ask Network” feature your question will be routed to everyone in the network who might be able to help.

On the “Questions” page you will also see questions you may be following, questions you have asked the network and questions that you may be able to answer.

What is “Ask Network”?

If you have a question (e.g., don’t understand something your doctor said, looking for local help, looking for perspective), use the “Ask Network” feature to post your question to the network for comment. Once you post a question, it is routed to people and organizations in the network that can help.

Where can I find people who are most like me?

Under the “Who to Follow” section in the right hand column, you should see others in the network most like you. We try our best to present you with those in the network who are most like you based on things such as diagnosis, role, age, stage of illness, stage of treatment. In the short term we may recommend people that do not seem relevant to you. Please be patient as we expand the network.

How do you decide whom to recommend as peers?

This is exactly what makes the WhatNext site unique. WhatNext has a proprietary learning algorithm that takes the information you enter and collects behavior patterns to try to identify the people who might interest you most. Or, said another way, we try to match you to the people with a path or journey that is most similar to yours. In the event that we run out of people in the network we broaden the matching criteria.

How can I keep up to date on people I’m interested in following?

It’s easy to keep posted on other people’s journeys and experiences by simply clicking on their name in the “People Most Like You” column, then clicking on “Follow” on their home page. Then whenever those you are following post something on the site you will be notified on your wall and in WhatNext email digests that are distributed whenever there is something new to report.

Why am I seeing questions or people that don’t relate to me?

Because WhatNext is still so new, for now you will likely be connected to others who may not share your specific diagnosis. This will improve as more people join the network. Thanks in advance for your patience!

What is the WhatNext Digest?

This is an email you will receive from us updating you as to what is going on with the people you are following and any new questions that you might be able to answer. By clicking on “Account” at the top of each page, you will see under “Account Setting: Send me daily updates about my network.” And you can select none, daily, every other day or once per week.

What is that Goodwill number?

The Goodwill number is one way you can tell how helpful each WhatNext member has been in providing information that may help others in the network. Someone with a “0” by their name may mean that they are new to the network, while someone with a higher number means that they may have either posted more information in their journey, asked questions and/or provided answers that others may have “liked.” Your number can change daily based on your contributions and involvement.

As you get involved and contribute on WhatNext, you’ll be recognized with the following badges:

0 - 500

501 - 1499

1500 - 3499

3500+

Why should I try to increase my Goodwill score?

Why should you try to score points in a video game? Why should your favorite sports team try to win the championship? Even if you are not competitive by nature, simply remember how challenging it was for you to navigate the disease and how helpful it would have been to have had a resource, such as WhatNext, to help you gain perspectives and cut through the clutter.

How can I get my Goodwill number higher?

Simple – just add to your Journey, ask questions and answer questions. Basically, do things that the network finds valuable and your Goodwill number will soar, and you can be confident that in ways both big and small, your contributions are very likely helping someone in need.

What does “Exchange Email” Mean?

This feature allows our members to interact privately with other WhatNext members outside of the confines of the WhatNext website. You may find some members of your network that you might want to connect with on a more personal basis. This feature allows you to safely exchange your personal contact information with others through a direct messaging system.

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